Need advice and reassurance please! Advance warning of TMI...

**InDiAnNa** · 01-01-2009, 02:23 PM

Ok so it's New Years Day, nearly 7pm here in the UK.

FDH and I went off to a friends house party last night, which was pretty quiet and tame in terms of London New Years Eve parties!! Had a few nibbles, a few beers, a bit of half-hearted cheering at midnight, and that was about it. We arrived home at about 5.30am this morning (loooong public transport journey back from friends house).

If you don't like vomit and associated descriptions, stop reading.

Since about 11am this morning, FDH has been vomiting copiously, every two hours or so. He feels constantly nauseuous, cannot keep even the smallest amounts of water down, or the rehydration solution I got him, or the anti-sickness tablets... It's got to the point where he is throwing up bile in large amounts.

At about 1pm he tried eating a little something, but that came straight back up too. Not tried since.

Now I appreciate this is probably some form of alcohol poisoning... But on the other hand I am wondering why 4-5 bottled beers and some champagne have made him SO ill, when I have seen him drink over 20 pints of beer, and 3-4 shots of sambuca and tequila in one night, and not suffer one bit. Yes you read that correctly, and yes I would appreciate no unpleasant/self-righteous comments about his alcohol intake on that particular occasion. I said plenty myself at the time. Thanks

He's not looking good right now. He's getting dehydrated, is feeling very weak and sleepy... Getting a doctor to see him will be almost impossible, a.)he will NOT want to, b.) his registered doctor is at his office (which is closed til Monday) and c.) the average wait at the nearest (1 hour bus ride) emergency clinic right now is about 13 hours.

He has not:

~got a stiff neck, aversion to light, rash
~had a head injury recently
~been taking any new mediciations or taken any recreational drugs.

Any practical advice? Please?? I am very worried, especially about his hydration. He just cannot keep anything in him to make himself feel a bit better!

**MoonMommy** · 01-01-2009, 02:28 PM

Did you both eat exactly the same things?
My guess would be food poisoning. Is it also coming out the other end as well? If so, food poisoning would be my best guess. Of course, I am NOT a doc. I just have had it before and I couldn't eat or drink anything for about 24 hours and my body evacuated everything in it from both ends for that entire 24 hours.

I would say keep pushing the fluids. It is better to throw up something instead of dry heaving. JMO though. Plus, if he can even keep the water down for a few minutes, it may get into his system.

Good luck.

**InDiAnNa** · 01-01-2009, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by MoonMommy

Did you both eat exactly the same things?
My guess would be food poisoning. Is it also coming out the other end as well? If so, food poisoning would be my best guess. Of course, I am NOT a doc. I just have had it before and I couldn't eat or drink anything for about 24 hours and my body evacuated everything in it from both ends for that entire 24 hours.

I would say keep pushing the fluids. It is better to throw up something instead of dry heaving. JMO though. Plus, if he can even keep the water down for a few minutes, it may get into his system.

Good luck.

It's only vomit that is the problem. He's (ahem) been to the bathroom for the other end and all is perfectly normal there. (Man he'd be soooo ticked if he know I just posted that hehe).

I was thinking food poisoning too, but we did eat the same things, and I am ok. There was some homemade meatnpotato pasties there, but no-one else that was there has reported vomiting. So it cant be that. And they were very well cooked.

I had food poisoning a few years ago, and I am so with you on the having-something-to-bring-up thing MoonMommy. That was not a pleasant experience, I'm going to get him to drink some more when he wakes up. Whether it'll stay down... Unlikely I think.

Thanks.

**Marie78** · 01-01-2009, 02:51 PM

I agree with trying to get him to drink fluids. Have him sip them in very small sips. If he guzzles or takes a regular drink it will be more likely to come up on him. Have him sip whatever he can: water, the rehydrating solution, chicken broth, or apple juice. I had a stomach bug over Christmas that was effecting the other end

. I felt like throwing up but never did. I kept drinking fluids and even though I couldn't eat much of anything the fluids help keep you hydrated. You can help by bringing him the liquids and coaxing him to sip small sips (through a straw if you have one handy).

**Missy** · 01-01-2009, 03:18 PM

I wonder if the alcohol exasperated food poisoning maybe? Maybe it made it worse?

I am not at all trying to be uppity about the drinking. That doesn't bother me at all. And i hope I am not coming across that way.

**thefrug** · 01-01-2009, 03:19 PM

fever? body aches? does his doctor have an emergency pager number?
push the fluids. and if it goes till morning, call emergency!

**fernykins** · 01-01-2009, 03:20 PM

I would try some luke warm 7up and crackers..........a nibble her and sip there........7up will either calm the stomach or make you throw up.
and yes that is what my Dr says.....hope he stars to feel better
Fern

**InDiAnNa** · 01-01-2009, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by Missy

I wonder if the alcohol exasperated food poisoning maybe? Maybe it made it worse?

I am not at all trying to be uppity about the drinking. That doesn't bother me at all. And i hope I am not coming across that way.

Not at all Missy, don't worry. Thank you.

The amount of alcohol FDH can, has and does drink is an entirely different issue I feel. He does enjoy drinking, but is slowly starting to realize how much it affects him now he is older. I just didn't want the thread to turn into being about overindulgance in alcohol and how bad it is for you and he should know better blah blah kinda thing. We both know all that, and right now, I just need some help on how to stop/control the vomiting, not the cause of it! That's why I said what I did.

He's managed to keep down some water and rehydration solution, but has nearly been sick a few times, so it's probably only a matter of time until he actually does vomit.

He's in better spirits, well a little. He's taking the mickey out of my lisp as per usual so hopefully he is feeling slightly less ill

**MoonMommy** · 01-01-2009, 03:34 PM

Also, he could suck on ice which will be almost like sipping water.

Hope he feels better.

ya know...my son just got over having a stomach flu. Poor kid threw up every hour for about 24 hours. When I stopped in at school, they told me that a lot of the kids had it. Maybe he just got something similar and it just happened to manifest itself now, making you think it has to do with the drinks. The alcohol, might have depressed his immune system just enough to let the bug get a better grip.

**brenda67** · 01-01-2009, 03:38 PM

I would take him to the hospital right now! He is dehydrating as we speak and this is very serious..Good Luck..

**InDiAnNa** · 01-01-2009, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by thefrug

fever? body aches? does his doctor have an emergency pager number?
push the fluids. and if it goes till morning, call emergency!

No emergency pager

And no fever, and no aches or pains. He is sipping cold water as I type. And yes, if he is still like this at 8am, he will go to the emergency department, and I will insist he is admitted and put on a drip. In my profession, a dog/any animal would've been on IV fluids and IV anti-emetics by now.

Originally Posted by fernykins

I would try some luke warm 7up and crackers..........a nibble her and sip there........7up will either calm the stomach or make you throw up.
and yes that is what my Dr says.....hope he stars to feel better
Fern

Haven't got any 7up

He has had a bit of soda water, do you think that would help at all? I've told him that as soon as he feels remotely like he could swallow something without immediately vomiting, he must try and eat a cracker.

Thanks to you both.

**Megareader** · 01-01-2009, 03:52 PM

This might sound odd but after i had jaw surgery the doctor said if I felt like I was going to throw up to lay on my stomach and breathe slowly. I didn't need to try that out so I have no idea if it really works but it's a suggestion.

**dcompton** · 01-01-2009, 03:54 PM

I was going to suggest sucking on ice too. That can sometimes slip in water so subtly the body hardly notices.

**Durgan** · 01-01-2009, 04:41 PM

The constant vomiting is probably more detrimental than the possible dehydration.

Once having a bad experience with raw oysters I can sympathize with your concern. This event took 18 hours to disappear.

A quick trip to the emergency room is probably in order to alleviate the constant heaving, assuming the condition is not something more serious.You certainly indicated that it is not excessive alcohol.

**zakity** · 01-01-2009, 05:07 PM

A few years ago when the boys had a stomach bug, the doc told us to get pepsi or coke and let it warm up and go flat. We were supposed to give them a tablespoon every half hour or hour. It seemed like it was an hour for a while, and then a half hour for a while, and then every 15 min.